Heretofore, bearings, such as those utilized in connection with the rotating shaft driving a ship's propeller, have been made from rubber. The bearings have been fluted so that they are water lubricated. Attempts to incorporate a low friction thermoplastic into the rubber have been unsuccessful. Examples of typical bearing assemblies and/or compositions thereof are set forth in the following patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,381,270 to Enz relates to a bearing assembly having staves therein and a keeper strip which is formed of laminated fiberous material such as paper, cloth fabric, fiberglass, etc., impregnated with a resinous binder such as phenolic, urea, vinyl, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,023,059 to Kirk relates to rubber bearings composed of non-conductive materials and to a non-metallic supporting sleeve composed of a plastic material which is reinforced with a material such as fiberglass.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,278 to Orndorff relates to a shaft bearing wherein the bearing surface is formed of strips of elastomeric material which line the inner periphery of a cylindrical housing between radially inwardly projecting lugs with each strip being secured therein by a locking bar inserted in a longitudinal groove in the strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,561,830 to Orndorff relates to a resilient elastomeric insert for bearings of the type used for marine propeller shafts wherein the insert is formed of a low hardness elastomeric material and has rigid backing strips inserted in the elastomer spaced closely adjacent to the bearing surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,166 to Reising relates to a bearing having a low friction surface formed of fibers of a low-friction resin, for example polytetrafluorethylene, in a hard resin matrix, the longitudinal axis of substantially all of the fibers extending substantially parallel to the surface of the bearing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,919 to Lagally, et al relates to a low friction bearing-journal arrangement which can be lubricated by seawater wherein the rubbing surface of a titanium journal in combination with a high density polyethylene bearing is protected against scuffing or galling by a small concentration of iodine which can be absorbed at the bearing surface or be present as water-soluble iodine salt or complex.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,983 to Lagally relates to a low friction bearing-journal arrangement which contains a first member made from high density polyethylene and a second member, which mates with the first member, formed from a high modulus supporting material such as titanium, zirconium, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,826,547 to Finefrock relates to a water lubricated bearing wherein a housing is formed with a cylindrical bore in which a plurality of symmetrically spaced keys are mounted. A compliment of staves formed entirely of elastomeric material are positioned in the bore and directly compressed by a removable compression head to cause tight engagement between the bore and keys. Removal of the compression head allows the staves to assume their unstressed condition in which clearance is provided with respect to both the bore and the keyways.
The article Material Selection Criteria for Water Lubrication by Watt V. Smith, Wear, 25 (1973) 139-153 printed in the Netherlands, relates to service performance parameters and material selection for water lubricated contact materials such as those utilized in marine equipment. Table II of the article on page 152, relates to the abrasive wear resistance of non-metallic materials.
While the above article and patents generally relate to materials which are utilized as bearings, they do not teach or suggest applicant's polymer alloy, a process for making the same, or the use of the alloy as a bearing.